This CD is a classic example of '60s Southern soul. William Bell isn't quite as gritty as his pal Otis Redding; he's primarily a gospel crooner, although he's more than convincing in Redding-style songs such as "Never Been Like This Before," "You're Such a Sweet Thing," and "I've Been Loving You Too Long."

"Everybody Loves a Winner," the album's big hit, is an all-but-perfect mix of soul and country (check out the faux Floyd Cramer piano part), and the same could be said about the now-classic "You Don't Miss Your Water." Meanwhile, Bell's vocals throughout are extraordinarily intense, particularly on a spine-tingling cover of Toussaint McCall's "Nothing Takes the Place of You."